Labour Court recommends three-operator staffing on Batchelors steriliser

In 1997, the Labour Court recommended that the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union accept Batchelors Limited’s proposal to run its Stork Sterilizer with three operators instead of four, then review the arrangement after a month. Batchelors said a work study supported the change and argued that lower costs were needed to compete. The union said two operators were needed at all times, citing the machine’s output and monitoring demands, and pointed to a 1993 staffing agreement. The recommendation was signed on 6 October 1997.